


Can You Feel My Heart Beating?

by snarkstark



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, But he loves hot guys, Clint loves fucking with people, Deaf!Steve, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, First Meetings, Fluff, Football Player Steve, High School, M/M, Meet-Cute, Steve is not shy, Tony hates football, everyone is happy, no powers, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-05-13
Packaged: 2018-10-20 04:58:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10655406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snarkstark/pseuds/snarkstark
Summary: Tony sighed, handing Rhodey his helmet and very pointedly rolling his eyes. "I still don't know why I'm here."Tony hates football, but thinks he can learn to love it if they're all as hot as Steve Rogers.





	1. Chapter 1

Tony sighed, handing Rhodey his helmet and very pointedly rolling his eyes. "I still don't know why I'm here." It was a token complaint and both of them knew it, so his best friend didn't dignify him with a response. "Doesn't being Quarterman -"  
"Quarterback."  
"Details, details, get painfully boring?" Tony attempted, fixing his jersey for him.  
"Doesn't building shit in your basement get boring?"  
"They don't even compare, do you -"  
"Go find a seat, Tony." Rhodey cut him off, amused. 

No-one appreciated him anyways. 

He sat close to the back, avoiding the screaming fanatics that were way too obsessed with a high school football game, and sipped his drink. Most people would think it would be fun to see all the hot guys running around, but it took a special kind of someone to pull off white shorts that had shoelaces over your dick. Like the dutiful friend he was, however, he showed up to every game in his Black Panther shirt and did his best to act mildly interested in which brute had managed to grab the ball. 

Oh look, that one was running. See that? It got thrown. 

Fascinating. 

The team was just warming up, so Tony could hope it would get a little more interesting. 

Then, the other team walked out onto the pitch, and Tony almost choked on air. First of all, none of looked like they were trying to be intimidating, or serious at all in fact. A dirty blond guy was actually _riding on another guy's shoulders_. They were all relaxed and laughing, which actually exuded much more confidence than silence. Not to mention, most of them were fucking smoking. In particular, the guy with pale blond hair who's shoulder span lasted longer than Tony's patience and possibly had biceps bigger than the genius's head. What the _fuck?_

He watched as they warmed up, seemingly getting more silent whereas the Black Panthers started getting louder, barking orders and ideas together. Tony watched closely and caught hand movements; did they have some sort of code? 

Everything was a little more interesting now, so he paid attention as the game started, and sure enough, the opposing team, the Falcons, didn't say a damn word. And it made them hard as Hell to predict, too. His mouth fell open as he realised that for the first time in the season, the Black Panthers stood to lose. The hot one - Tony checked the back of his jersey to see the name 'Rogers', emblazoned on the back - was absolutely unstoppable. He had a friend with a metal arm who might've been just as good, too. 

There was silence for a whole minute when the game ended. 

34-32. To the _Falcons_. 

The team celebrated modestly, sharing some hugs and compliments before offering a kind hand to the other team, thanking them for a good game or whatever. Rhodey looked defeated, but he managed a respectful nod and a small smile to the Falcons before they trooped off to the changing rooms.

Tony wasn't a total asshole, so consoling his friend came before flirting with cute football players. The rest of the team was more than used to him invading their locker room, he was pretty much the mascot at this point, so he headed straight there to assure Rhodey how good he was. Both sides had played pretty fucking amazingly, it was actually the first time Tony had really seen what the appeal for the whole thing was. "C'mon, Rhodes. It was just one game, after all. Next time you'll kick ass." The genius chattered on until his rambling managed to put a smile on his friend's face.  
"Alright, nerd, you can get out'a here." Rhodey clapped him on the shoulder, "I'll see you tomorrow for dinner, alright?" Tony nodded, happy to have plans at his favourite Italian. 

He left quickly, a spark of hope kindling in his chest. Maybe he could catch that blond guy around? Surely they wouldn't take off so quickly?

He headed around the back of the field to the parking lot, and sure enough, there was an unfamiliar bus parked there. Tony wandered closer, and caught sight of Rogers, facing away from him. "Rogers!" He called out. After all, he was pretty unashamed about what he wanted most of the time. "Hey, Rogers," He greeted, his step faltering. Tony was barely five feet away, was be being purposefully ignored? He jumped when the bus door open and the metal-arm-guy leant out. 

"I started feeling bad for you," The guy smirked at him, continuing before Tony could complain, "He's deaf. And gay as hell, too. But c'mon, cute stuff, I can promise to be much more interesting." Metal arm spread his arms enticingly, making Tony laugh.  
"Not that the hot metal arm doesn't do stuff for me, but I'm into the All American Boy, y'know?" Tony teased him, grinning as the other gave him a fake wounded look.  
"Alright, hint taken. I'll stop Clint from comin' and botherin' you two." He winked and closed the door, causing the genius to flush slightly. 

Taking a breath, he closed the gap and tapped Rogers on the shoulder, making him turn around. And God, he was even more breathtaking than Tony had been able to see from far away. "Hey." He managed to get out. Relieved to discover that the blond could read lips, a grin broke out on his face when he got a, "What's up, gorgeous?"  
"It's Tony, but gorgeous is good, too." He smirked, his heart rate speeding up.  
"I'm Steve." His eyes dropped to Tony's shirt, "Ah, isn't this a little treasonous?"  
"Can't we be like Romeo and Juliet?" The brunet snickered, raising an eyebrow.  
"Hm, maybe if you wear my colours next time."  
"Maybe if you give me your number." Tony countered, surprised at how smoothly this whole thing was. Steve laughed, and wasn't that a great sound, and pulled out his phone for Tony to enter his number into. 

The genius would rather their encounter be a little longer, but the dirty blond stuck his head out of the door. "Hey, Cap! Not that I'm not in favour of you finally getting laid, but we need to move." 

Steve blushed and glared at his teammate, who only cackled. He gave him the middle finger, and Tony might not know sign language but that one was pretty easy to decipher. His laughter at the situation was cut off when Steve leant forward to kiss his cheek. That sure shut him up. Clint cackled harder at his stunned expression, earning him a light punch from Steve as he got on the bus and waved his goodbye. 

Maybe Tony could learn to love football.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moral of the story is, true love can be found anywhere.
> 
> Just kidding, it's never trust Nat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pop Quiz:  
> Guess who's exams are over?  
> Guess who's getting more fic?

"Natasha! Nat!" Tony burst into his favourite coffee place on campus, somehow managing to panic and vibrate with excitement at the same time. The red-head looked up, quirking an unimpressed brow at his loud and irritating entrance. He instantly hushed down, hissing at her instead. "Natasha, please," Tony whined pitifully.

Sighing, his kind of friend (Natasha kept you wondering like that), classmate and favourite barista, turned around to lean over the counter. "Is this about Rogers?" Tony's mouth fell open and he stepped back.   
"What the fuck, Romanoff?" He demanded, "I didn't even tell anyone apart from Rhodey? How the Hell-?" The genius spluttered, shocked by her terrifying capabilities once again.   
"I know a guy." She gave him a slow smile, scaring him further. She was actually friends with Clint Barton, who happened to be on Steve's team. And he didn't stop fucking complaining all last night because Rogers wouldn't shut his mouth about Tony. 

"You are terrifying and I don't ever want to cross you." He shivered and sat down, accepting the coffee that was placed in front of him with a grin. "Okay, yes. Well, he's deaf, which means I gotta learn sign." He explained, "And you know it, right? So, here I am." He paused for a second, before sighing. "What'll it set me back?" He asked, in a tone of acceptance. The barista hummed in consideration for a second before deciding. "I need to borrow your car. The Lamborghini." Tony winced. Natasha drove like a fucking blind person, nevermind about being deaf. 

Wait, _do_ mind about being deaf because Steve was adorable and Tony wanted him bad. 

"Fine. But if you wreck it, so help me, I will search to the end of the Earth to find someone stupid enough to take you on for me." Tony threatened, finishing his drink. "Okay, let's start with the basics." She clapped her hands at him, pleased when he immediately sat up and paid attention. At least Stark was a fast learner. It would make it easier to have a little fun. (For her, of course). 

*

"Tony!" 

The genius spun around on his heels as he heard his name being called, the little bell on the coffee shop door ringing. Steve looked just as good out of uniform, wearing a loose pair of jeans and a blue shirt. "Looking good, Captain." He greeted with a smile, "How d'you take your coffee?" Steve's eyes didn't bother flicking to the menu; this was his choice of place, after all.   
"Just ask them for Steve's regular." He told him but came to join him in the queue anyway. Tony's heart rate increased even at the simple proximity of Steve's body to his. This was telling news. He hadn't felt like this since... Pepper, maybe? His date broke him out of his thoughts. "So, all I found out about you last time was your name and that you were adorable." The blond teased him, knocking their shoulder's together, "You go to East Midwood?" He hazarded a guess since that was the school they played in the last game. To his surprise, Tony looked awkward and fidgeted.  
"No." The smaller admitted, not elaborating.   
"Where do you study?"   
"Uh, just this institute of technology place." He answered vaguely.   
"Tony," Steve whined since the other was currently wrecking his plans to pick his hopefully soon boyfriend up from school at three and other cliche stuff. Shrugging, Tony ordered their drinks, so his date let it drop reluctantly. 

Once they had their drinks, they crossed the room and dropped down into the corner booth. "Hey, I never apologised. Bucky says you thought I was totally ignoring you, and you were looking all hurt and lost." Tony huffed indignantly.   
"I assure you, I was looking neither when your buddy came out and tried to seduce me." He answered, grinning.   
"You're telling me." Steve's voice took on a higher pitch as he mocked his friend, "Why d'you always get the cute ones, Stevie? And this one liked my arm! Liked it! What the Hell? I liked it better when you were a short-stack!" Tony burst into laughter and missed the flicker of sadness in Steve's eyes because he couldn't hear the sound.  
"Okay, but did you just say 'short-stack'? No way."   
"Yeah, used to be smaller than you," Steve smirked, "Who knows how that's possible?" He watched the brunet gasp in outrage and aggressively rip open a sugar packet.   
"I resent that." Tony glared at him lightly, "But I'll let it slip if you trade me pictures."   
"No."  
"What?"  
"No."  
"Excuse me?"  
"I said- Hey! St-stop looking at me like that! Quit it... Tony! Fine! Fine, just stop!" 

Tony got the pictures. 

After laughing at Steve for about twenty minutes, Tony remembered his surprise. "I started learning some sign!" The blond opposite him lit up like a star, blue eyes wide with shock, something beautifully vulnerable in his eyes.   
"For me? Even though I can read lips?"  
"'Course! What if I'm too far away? And now we can talk in the cinema!" 

Biting his lip in concentration, Tony recalled the first thing he'd learned from Natasha, signing, 'Hello! How are you? Nice to see you!" And beaming across the table.   
"Tony?"  
"Yeah?"  
"You just asked me what I wanted to name our first child." Oh. Tony was going to murder Natasha. Okay, well, he was going to hire someone completely anonymous idiot to do it for him because he was terrified of her. "Oops? Anyway, I was thinking 'James', I have a great friend-"  
"Tony!" Satisfied with the blush on Steve's face, he decided he'd let the anonymous idiot stand down this time. 

Somehow, they ended up in Central Park, one hand wrapped around their take out cups and the other securely laced together as they walked around aimlessly, and quizzed each other. Steve had finally managed to find out the extent of Tony's smarts and had proceeded to kiss his forehead in delight. "Can't wait to tell 'em all that my fella's such a genius." Tony pretended that the phrase 'my fella' didn't do very, very interesting things to him, and changed the subject by asking about Steve's family. 

They found a secluded bench, pressed against each other as close as they could get, Steve quietly mourning the loss of his date's hand in his. But Tony needed two hands to gesticulate wildly and recount the story of the time he blew up a car and had to rebuild it from hand. Halfway through, Steve found himself unable to control himself and he surged forwards to smash his lips against Tony's, who after making a lovely, shocked sound, proceeded to kiss back so enthusiastically that he ended up in the football player's lap. 

The date was utterly glorious, and the one after that, and the one after that. And every now and then, Tony would still sign him that same question, just to see that cute little blush, even as he learned actual sign. 

It wasn't until a year later, as Tony wore his traitorous Black Panther shirt with pride, and cheered obnoxiously when his boyfriend scored once again, that Steve pulled off his helmet and waved at him during halftime. The genius, completely ignoring all the business he had going on in order to set up his company with Pepper to be there, signed the faithful question. 

"What do you want to name our first child?" Steve paused, tilting his head. 

"I don't know, I kind of like James too."

Tony had never been so sure of anything in his life. And the hearing aids that he'd been designing for the last six months that were hiding in his front pocket? Well, they could wait until after the post-game shwarma and the discussion about what they were going to name their _second_ child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got so much positive feedback for this, please tell me what you think!  
> It literally fuels me.  
> Also I miiiiiiiigghhhhhhhtt write a little epilogue with said children 'cause I know it's not nice to tease.  
> L :)

**Author's Note:**

> Ayeeee, I kinda wanna continue this - anyone interested in their first date?  
> This one's for @hellyesstony on Instagram again, lmao.  
> Please gimme comments and kudos because I'm trash and love feedback :)  
> L


End file.
